Nuclear Power Flood Risk: NRC Insiders Say Agency Continues To Look The Other Way
Source: Huffington Post
According to findings made public earlier this month, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently uncovered potentially significant flooding vulnerabilities at two Tennessee nuclear power plants and, after a thorough investigation, the agency aggressively sanctioned the errant operator for several safety violations -- although the facilities were permitted to continue operating.
An internal document quietly released this week by the agency, however, suggests that some NRC employees with extensive knowledge of the threat believe the agency is violating its own regulatory mission by allowing at least one reactor to stay online, given the potential for flooding that would likely hobble core cooling equipment and possibly trigger a meltdown.
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Scott Burnell, an NRC spokesman, said Friday morning that the agency had devoted significant time to examining the concerns raised by Lyon and Milano, but added that, "the agency continues to conclude it is reasonable to allow Watts Bar to continue operating while the NRC takes appropriate and ongoing ... regulatory action regarding flooding scenarios" at the facility.
Asked via email whether NRC's recent actions had alleviated his concerns about the flood risk, Lyon simply responded: "No."
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Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/29/nuclear-power-flood-risk_n_2979098.html
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